How do we control access to the barracks?

Interesting topic, very long response.

A few points:

1) In our BDE we had two barracks. One only had four entrances minus the fire exits. The other had sixteen entrances. While we were gone the rear-d only used the one with four entrances.  Since they did have issue discussed the locked all doors and posted guards, everyone was checked in and out. It worked well and they had very little issue. However, the Soldiers felt like they were in prison and due to the size of the building they had to walk a football field distance to exit when their car was 10 yards always.

2) Upon our return we occupied the second barracks and tried lockdown. They broke the door locks and it was very hard to control access. So when we walked through the barracks we realized what we were asking of our Soldiers. To walk two hundred yards to get to a vehicle or access 10 yards away. It was like your wife locking the garage door and mandating you only go through the front door. So after talking with the Soldiers we removed the restriction and opened all the doors. Minus a few small issues we have had the lowest incidents I have seen. We do have an NCO and three CQs two walk the area but this is to reduce theft and report issue. I truly believe if you build a professional attitude and environment they will behave that way.

3) We still have some theft issues but mostly in the parking lot so we are looking into purchasing cameras and will place them around. Hopefully a deterrent for many things.

4) Again we are not perfect even found a minor in the barracks, (hid in closet) have to turn down the music, etc... BUT nothing NCOs checking on Soldier cannot fix. Every time we find something wrong I take a step back and say is it an issue or incident - is it systemic or just a short term problem. When it is an incident and not a systemic issue why freak out when something happens in the Barracks? Every complex that big has issues! 

***** Finally, believe me there is a lot happening in married housing- most don't see it because you don't get the Blotters. CSM don't yell housing is screwed up because the are mixed housing areas they can't control. But they do say the Barracks are screwed up because they can impact that. SOOOOO treat you Soldier with the respect they deserve but the guidance and oversight they need.

So prior to our deployment we had 6 people on CQ at the barracks and senior leaders doing random barracks checks between the hours of 1800 and 0600. Our soldiers were getting in more trouble than before this started and I feel like part of that is not so much that they were being "extra bad", but because the leadership was looking for trouble with a fine tooth comb so they didn't get blamed for what was going on in the barracks. This is not the right answer. We need to treat our single soldiers with as much respect and responsibility as we do our married soldiers. In my opinion, this is discrimination against single soldiers because they haven't decided to get married yet.

Soldiers will be soldiers whether they live in the barracks, in on post housing, or off post. The soldiers in the barracks are forced to live there and then treated like children. When you treat them like children, they will act as such.

If a married soldier who lives on post has a guest who drank too much spend the night, nothing is said. The army is providing that house as a benefit for the service member and dependents, not the guests. A soldier in the barracks doesn't want their guest to drink and drive, so they allow their guest to spend the night and that soldier is punished for essentially "doing the right thing".

Ya'll are making this out like Soldiers only make bad decisions.  SSG Dean, sounds like a prision but I also remember those days and the NCO asking 20 questions.  Also I remember the visitors must be out by 2300 checks.  How is it that I can a person of the opposite sex at my offpost apartment but I can't have one in the barracks?  I also remember that 1SG outlawed parties in the Dayroom, good call, we will just take the party off post where there are no controls.  Let me ask you a question, would you rather me play beer pong in the dayroom or at the bar 10 miles away.  Oh, and guess what I'm not taking a cab because tomorrow I have to find a way to get my car.  I keep hearing the Army needs to go back to the days of old and in some aspects I agree but in others I think we need to use the lessons learned approach and treat our Soldiers like the adults they can be.  Instead we want to treat them like children and guess what, when you treat a grown ass man like a child he is going to say F it, I will act like you treat me. 

SPC McCumber is onto something if you want to treat your Soldiers like children.  Hell don't even allow them access to their civilian clothes.  Take their car keys, you know just in case they may drink in the next few days.  Have hourly formations 24/7 for accountability.   

Why is it that I can go home and relax without having to worry about someone checking on me every two hours.  It is to the point where if we do not know where our Soldiers are 24/7 and who they are with then we are bad leaders.  Ya'll need to relax the leash ya'll are putting on these Soldiers.  What till they deserve to be on a leash.  The barracks are not an extension of work but a place where Soldiers live. 

Have some of us been NCOs too long not to remember how living in the barracks were.  I remember quite vividly and if my Soldiers are doing the right thing why do I need to be up in their Kool-Aid.